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Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Studio album by Mick Ronson
Released	February 1974
Recorded	July 1973
Studio	Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France; Trident, London
Genre	Rock, glam rock
Length	35:19
Label	RCA
Producer	Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson chronology
Slaughter on 10th Avenue (1974) Play Don't Worry (1975)
Singles from Slaughter on 10th Avenue
"Love Me Tender" Released: 1974 "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" Released: 1974

Slaughter on 10th Avenue is the debut album by English guitarist Mick Ronson, then-guitarist of David Bowie's backing band the Spiders from Mars. It was released in February 1974 by RCA Records.

For inspiration, Ronson relied on Annette Peacock's 1972 album I'm the One; he used the title track and her arrangement of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender". Two songs were co-written by Ronson with Scott Richardson, who had been involved in the Ann Arbor music scene since the mid-'60s and came to prominence as lead singer of the SRC. Richardson was brought into the Bowie camp by Angie Bowie, who met him through Ron Asheton of the Stooges. During the recording of the album, Ronson considered putting together a new band with Richardson, Aynsley Dunbar, and Trevor Bolder, to be called the Fallen Angels, but plans fell through.

"Only After Dark", one of the two tracks co-written by Ronson and Richardson, was later covered by the original lineup of the Human League in 1980. Their version was intended as the second single from their second album Travelogue, but their label Virgin Records shelved it in favour of a reissue of the track "Empire State Human" (from their first album) and the pressings of "Only After Dark" were given away as a free bonus single with the official single, a move that greatly angered the group, and contributed to their subsequent split.

The song was also covered by British heavy rock band Def Leppard, and was issued as the B-side of their 1992 hit single "Let's Get Rocked".

Promotion and live shows

Mick Ronson's debut concert came at the Rainbow Theatre, London, with a pair of shows on 22–23 February 1974. His band consisted of Mark Carr-Pritchard on second guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass, Mike Garson on keyboards and Ritchie Dharma on drums. The band were augmented by Thunderthighs on vocals, a five-piece horn section and the London Symphony Orchestra. This was followed by a 13 date tour in April 1974 without the orchestra.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Classic Rock
Mojo

Dave Thompson of AllMusic praised the album, putting it on par with "any of Bowie's own" and describing it as a "snapshot of a special time, when the triple disciplines of glam, rock, and 'Precious Art' slammed into one another." According to journalist Jim Irvin, "Ronno's best-selling solo set of '74 has exclusive Bowie songs, a cracking band and engaging ideas. But the mixes are odd, some tracks don't lift-off and his vocals lack a distinctive persona." Classic Rock reviewer finds the album "a mixed blessing" too. Some songs sound dated and overblown, but Bowie's penned tracks are "slices of old-school camp given a no-nonsense twist."

Track listing

All credits adapted from the original liner notes.

Charts

Personnel

• Mick Ronson – guitar, piano, vocals, arrangement, conductor
• Trevor Bolder – bass, trumpet, trombone
• Aynsley Dunbar – drums, percussion
• Mike Garson – piano, electric piano, organ
• David Hentschel – ARP on "Hey Ma Get Papa"
• Margaret Ronson – backing vocals
• Dennis MacKay – engineer, backing vocals
• Sidney Sax – strings
• Leee Black Childers – cover

References

1. ^ Thompson, Dave. "Mick Ronson – Slaughter on 10th Avenue review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
2. ^ Bell, Max (February 2010). "Mick Ronson – Slaughter on 10th Avenue/Play Don't Worry". Classic Rock. No. 141. p. 90.
3. ^ Irvin, Jim (January 2010). "Mick Ronson – Slaughter on 10th Avenue". Mojo. No. 194.
4. Slaughter on 10th Avenue (LP sleeve). Mick Ronson. RCA. 1974. APL 1-0353.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. Slaughter on 10th Avenue (CD sleeve). Mick Ronson. Snapper Classics. 2003. SDPCD121.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 257. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

• 1974 debut albums
• Mick Ronson albums
• Albums produced by Mick Ronson
• RCA Records albums
• Albums recorded at Trident Studios